Ratchet hinge for vehicle doors



NOV. 14, 1944. N, H, PARDOE 2,362,923

RATGHET- HINGE FOR VEHICLE DOORS i lFiled DeC. 9, v1941 2 SheebSwSheet 156 a as 3 9 4 INVENToR.

Nmr'mE'Ln H ..13 En" El ne ATTORNEYS.

NOV.14, 1944. N, H, PARDOE 2,362,923

'v .RATCHET HINGE FOR VEHICLE DOORS Filed Dec. 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2t Patented Nv.14,1944

' UNITED, 4STATES' PITENT OFFICE l f 2,362,923 y nn'ronn'r HINGEl FonyVEHICLE,poortsv Nbrmann, Perdue, Lusby, Maf.

' Application December 9, 1941, Serial No. 422,289 (C1. fie-141) 6Claims..

' The presentinventio'n relates to hinges for ver; tically hung vehiclebody' doors,y and has' for one of its principal objects the provisionof' ratchet hingles which tend to"avoi`d"damagejto the doors of thevehicle equipped with themand damage to vehicles standing alongside thevehicle thus equipped when the. doorsv are' opened, as, lfor example,when vehicles are parkedside by side in garages or 'parking lots and thedoors areopened for entrance or exit of persons; and, accidents topersons` entering or leaving the vehicle equipped with the hinges, dueto wind forces, or the force of gravitywhen the vehicle is standing onan inclined-road or other surface, and where' the *doors with ordinaryhinges tend to swing to av closed position, likely to injure the legs'orclothing of persons entering orl leaving rthe vehiclej Anothervobject'cf :the: invention is to provide ratchet hinges which do'notdetract from the `ap-y pearance of the vehicle,` and which inoutwardappearance may 'resemble theordinary vehicle.- door hinges now in commonuse'. n

A further object of'fthe invention is to provide ratchet hinges whichVare low in cost ofmanuf facture, sturdy in construction, andsusceptible of substitution for thel ordinary vehiclel door hingeswithout tooling the body jamb or door, but by" simplyiremoving thescrews orbolts used' in holding the ordinary hinges Ain place, and usingthem to securev the ratchet hingefin` operativerelation tothejambanddoor; A

A still further object of the invention isto provide ratchet hingeswhiclrwill remain' operative as hngeseven tho' the ratchet mechanismOther objects andadvantages of the inventionV y will vappear inthefollowingdetailedf-descriptionbecomes defective, -r t of -two forms ofhinges constructed according 'to' my invention, taken in-connectio-nwith' the-accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and in which drawings? .Figure 1 is a plan Viewl showingthe manner inFigures 6,- 7 and 8 are horizontal sectionalviews. on the lines 6 6,T-fl and 8,-1-8,.respectively, of FigureZ.

Figure 91s aview similar' mineure abut showingl theposition of one ofthe hinge leavesy corresponding to that shown in- Figure Figure 10v is aView in elevation of a vrnodiied form ofratchet hinge`looking toward theface of one of the hinge leaves, withthe, hinge in a closed position. k

Figure Il is a vertical sectional view. on the line H-ll of Figure 1o.

Figures l2, 13 and 14 are horizontal sectional' views on the lines|2,-l2, Iii-I3' 'and llt-[4,1 respectivelmof Figure 10.

Figure 15 isa perspectivevview of a ratchet member; y

In the drawings, AV and B' designate` automobiles y parked side by'side, the vehicle. A being shown 'of driver and passenger,` and if.equipped with `ratchet hinges constructed according to the preswithvits' doors C and D open for entrance Or exit ent invention, the hingeswill yielda-bly resist swinging movement ofthe doors from the positionshown, that' is, the door C swung to a plane at substantially 45 to theplane of the door' opening,l

where it will not touch vehicle B, andthe door D swing-to a plane atsubstantially'90 to thev door opening where it willv remain,l veverithosubjected to considerable wind rforce tending to close it, or if thevehicle is headed up an incline, will not close dueto the force ofgravity.

Referring rst to the form -of invention shown in Figures 2-9, where theWeight of the door .is materially used to render the ratchet effective,the hinge comprises a first hinge member` I6 and a second hingemem'berI-'l adaptedtobeattached which the ratchet` hinges tend to' avoiddama-ge to the .vehicle equipped `with them and a vehicle v adjacent-,1thereto ordamage to property-or person abovereferred'to. n

Figure 2y isanlelevati'onor-one form of ratchet` hinge, in a .closedposition, lqiking toward the face of one ofthe hingezle'aves, f

Figure 3 isa vertical sectional view on the line 3-3ofFigurc'2. f fFigure'4 is a horizontal section on the line lid y of Figure 2. f

Figure 54s a similarV view` 1go-rieure 4 ybut show; ingonehinge' leafswungto. a plane at substantially to the plane of the other hinge leaf.

to the vehicle body and door, respectivelg/,in any' usual or preferredmanner;v pintle of trunnion means I8 and I9, pivotallyconnecting thefirst and second rhinge members: and-ratchet means Zll'and 2lv toyiel'dably resist freev swinging' movement of,the secondA4 hingemember'with respect to which gives a streamlined effect to thehinge,`con j ceals-some of the working parts of the ratchet mechanism,and preventsY removal of the door when locked, if the; pirltle 'means isbroken.y

It is preferred to lform the hinge leaf 22, bear- 'Y ing 2:4 and wall 26of` oneY piece, and secure they bearing 25 in place, such as by weldingas indicated at 21.

The pintle bearing 24 is preferably in the nature of a step bearing,being provided with an upwardly opening recess 28, to reecive pintlemeans I8, While the bearing 25 is provided with a downwardly openingrecess 29 to receive the pintle means I9. In this way the parts of thehinge may be assembled in such a manner that it is impossible to drivethe pintle means from the hinge and no parts of the hinge are apt to belost or misplaced while transporting or handling same.

The second hinge member I1 comprises a hinge leaf 30, which in theexample shown is provided with screw or bolt receiving openings 3I, andaknuckle 32 of a height considerably less than the distance between thecompanion pintle bearings 24 and 25, and of a radius slightly less thanthe radius of the inner face of arcuate guard wall 26. The knuckle isprovided with an upwardly opening polygonal way 33 to receive parts ofthe ratchet means 2I as hereinafter described.

In order that the weight of the door C or D may be used to renderratchet means 20 'effective, such means comprises one or more radiallydisposed, substantially V-shaped projections or pawls 35 formed integralwith, or secured to the lower end 36 of knuckle 32 adapted to t ineither of two or more substantially V-shaped recesses 31 and 38 formedinthe upper face ..39 of lower pintle bearing 34. .The recesses 31 and38 are radially disposed with respect to recess 28 and are spaced apartsubstantially,45. They are located such that when the' 'hinge is closed,the

projection or pawl 35 is spaced substantially 45 from the nearest ofthese recesses, in the example shown that designated 31, as Shown inFigure 4. hinge member I1 is supported upon bearing 24 by the projectionor pawl 35 riding upon the upper face 39 of bearing 24. ,Howeveig if thehinge assumes a 1/8 open position, as shown in Figure 5, the projectionor pawl 35 will fall into its companion recess 31, as shown in Figure 5,and the lower end 3 6 of the knuckle 32 will then I When the hinge isclosed,` the second formed integral with knuckle 32, while the pintle vV-shaped recesses 42 and43, formed in bearing 25 and open tothe lowerface 44 thereof, radiating from recess 29 therein. The carrier 40 pref-`erably includes a horizontallyl disposed disc portion 45, from the upperface 46 of which the pintle or trunnion I9 extends, as well as at leastone substantially V-shaped projection or pawl 41, radiating from thetrunnion I9; and a polygonal stem 49 extending from the opposite face 50of disc portion 45, the stem being co-axial with the trunnion. The stem49 telescopes in way 33 of knuckle 32, with spring v4I interposedbetween the lower end of the stem and the bottom of theway, the springexertingv an upward pressure upon the stem. The projection or pawl 41corresponds to the projection or pawl 35 on the knuckle, and therecesses 42 and 43 correspond to the recesses 31 and 38 in trunnionbearing 24. The stem 49 is in effect keyed to the knuckle 32, so as torotate therewith, but is movable vertically so as to permit theprojection or pawl 41 to move into either recess 42 or 43, according tothe position of the door when opened thru an arc of 45 or an arc of 90.

IFrom the foregoing it is apparent that when the door is in a closedposition, the projections or pawls 35 and 41 engage the confrontingfaces 39 and 44 of the bearings 24 and 25, respectively. Upon openingthe door to an angle of 45, the projection or .pawl 35 will drop intorecess 31, permitting the door to descend slightly, and the projectionor pawl 41 will be forced into recess 42 thus yieldably resisting freeswinging movement of the door from substantially the position shown inFigure 1 at the right side'of vehicle A. If itis desired to swing thedoor to a 7 position, a, certain amount of force must be applied to thedoor to raise it slightly as the projection or pawl 35 is moved out of.recess 31, and when the door reaches the 90 position, shown in Figure 1to the left of vehicle A, the projection or pawl 35 will descendinrecess 38, while the pawl or projection 41 will spring upwardly intorecess 43, thusyieldably resisting free movement of the door againstwind forces tending to close it, or the force of gravity, if the vehicleis headed up an incline.

Referring now to the form of invention shown in Figures 10-15, showing aform where the weight of the door is not materially used to render theratchet effective, the rhinge comprises a rstl hinge member 5I and asecond hinge member 52 adapted to be attached to the vehicle body in anysuitable or preferred manner; a pintle 53; means `54 to cause the pintleto rotate with the second hinge member; and ratchet means 55 and 56 toyieldably resist free swinging movement of the door when it issubstantially l@ open or fully open,` corresponding to the 45 and 90position previously, mentioned. v

The rst hinge member 5I comprises,.in the example shown, leaf 51provided with screw or bolt receiving openings 58 lower and upper pintlebearings 59 and 60, respectively, and an arcuate guard 6I.- In thisform, all of these parts may be Vformed integral, it being vpreferred toprovide a recess 62V open to the upper surface V63' of bearing 59, forthe lower end portion of pintle 53 `and a thru way 63 in bearing 60,coaxial with recess 62, to receive the upper-end portionof the pintle.

The second hinge member 52 preferably comprises a hinge leaf 64,provided with screw or bolt receiving openings 65,'and a knuckle 66.knuckle is of a height considerably less than the distance between theconfronting faces 62 and 61 of the bearings 59 and 66, respectively, and

is provided with a central wayv 68, circular in cross section, largerupper and .lower ways 69 and 10, polygonal in cross section; and acentral transverse way 1I.` ,v

Pintle"53 is provided with a central transverse wayj12 and when thepintle is in` place, received by bearings 59 and 60, and extending `thruway 68, `the means 54, in the nature of a pin, may be driven thru theways 1I and 12 thus compelling the pintle to rotate with knuckle 66, andalso preventing mOVEdA'; ,f L

This,

the pintle from being readily re,

n companion V-shaped'frecesses, said ratchet means ,The bearingifhasatleastztwo'substantially w shaped'recessesi'lS: and Mipopen atitsfacef63'and, radiating from recess 62,.for cooperation with ratchet. meansf,while .the-bearing Boris provided .with similar recesses 'l5wand416*open to its lower face.y El and radiating from-way 63'. 'I'he recesses"T51 and 16 are for cooperation with ratchet means` 56. These recessesx13andld'y as Well as 15T and- 16 correspond. asfto. position and othercharacteristics. withthe-*recesses '.31 .and 38l and 4-2 and 43,:respectively, `as described in, connectionV with the form. of Figures lto 9 inclusive. l

Each ratchet means55 .and 56 comprises, a carrier 80 kand an Vexpansioncoilfspring v8|fand' each ycarrier 80v `preferablycomprises,ahorizontally, disposed disc portion 8 2-on one `face 83 of which is atleast onevsubstantially Vfshaped projection or pawl 84 extendingradially thereof; and extendingfrom the Aopposite face 85 there.invention shown in is provided a polygonal stern86. Extending thru thecarrier is a vertical way.81,'thruwhich the pintle 53 extends.

' spring 8| of ratchet mechanism 56v tends to force the carrier 80upwardly so thatyits projection or pawl l84 .may spring intoeither-recess 15 .or T6 yof bearing 60 according to the position of thevehicle door when open,

The operation of the form of hinge shown in Figures 10-15 is similar tothe form previously7 described, with the exception that the vehicle dooris not lowered when in one of the positions shown in Figure 1.

While the forms of invention hereinshown disclosed are o f the typewhere portions of the hinge are exposedto View when the door is`closed,kthe principle of the invention may be embodied in the concealedtype of hinges used on' vehicles having streamlined bodies.

I claim: v

1. A ratchet hinge for vehicle body` doors, comprising a first hingemember including spaced upper and lower axially aligned pintle bearingsprovided, in their confronting faces, each with two substantiallyV-shaped recesses radiating from the common axis of said bearings, andlocated substantially 44,57` apart, a second hinge member including aknuckle interposed between said pintlebearings, pintle means normallysecuring said first and second hinge members to- '.zgether, meanscausingvsaid knuckle and pintle means to rotate together when saidsecond hinge member is oscillated, and .ratchet means carried by eachthe upper portion'v and the lower portion of said knuckle, each ratchetmeans rotatable with the knucklel and movable toward and from itsrespective pintle bearing, and each ratchet means provided with asubstantially` V-shaped projection adapted to iit into either of said recesses of its respective pintle bearing, lSaid V- shaped projectionsnormally located, when the hinge is closed, at substantially 45 to thenearest of its respective companionV-shaped recesses,

means carried by said knucklefor guiding said ratchet means forcooperation with its respective y The stem 86` of ratchet rnechanism 55is received in way 10 and projection including Vaspring normally urgingsaidv ratchets toward their'respective` pintle bearings.

.2.,A' hinge; for. a vertically-hung vehicle door, comprising a rsthinge' member including spaced upper.. andI lower y-axiallyealignedpintle bearings provided', 'in theirconfronting faces,` each with tworecesses radiatingfromthe commonvaxis of vsaid .bearings;.a second hingemember-including a knuckl'eintegral therewith,linterposed between saidbearings and having atransverse way; pintle means including a-pintle-havinga transverse way,` and apin. normallyv securing said hingemembers, together;y said knuckle being provided with ways opening intoits upper and lower ends surrounding and spaced from the pintle means;

land ratchet means carried by e'ach of the upper and .lower portions:ofvis'aid knuckle and slidable along'said pintlev means ytoward and.laway from its respective pintle bearing,each ratchet means provided witha projection adapted to iit into. eitherof said recesses *in itsrespective pintle bearing, and each-ratchet means including al stem,slidable and non-rotatable in said ways,"

one stem-,being `in a portion of one Wayand the other stem being inaportionof the other way,A and anexpan'sion coiljspring for each ratchetmeans also in ,each way .and bearing against the bottom ofthe adjacentstern.v

3. A hinge for a vertically-hung vehicle door, l' comprising a rst.hingey member including spaced --uppernand lower axially-aligned.pintley bearings j provided, in their confronting faces each with tworecesses radiatingfrom the commonaxis of'said bearings; asecond hingemembercincludingria knuckle integraltherewith and interposed betweensaid bearings; a pintle;

means, associated with said knuckle and pintle,` fixedly securing saidhinge members together;

- saidl recesses in its respective pintle bearing, and

each ratchet means including a stem, slidable and non-rotatable in saidways, one stem being in a portion of one way and the other stem being ina portion of the other way, and an expansion I surrounding portions ofsaid pintle.

y4. A'hinge for a vertically-hung vehicle door comprising a first hingemember including a first leaf portion, 'said member having spaced upper.

and lowerl axially aligned pintle bearings, one bearing having a recessand the other a way both axially aligned, with recesses in theconfronting faces of said bearings, radiating from said" way and rstnamed recess, said member also having an arcuate guard integral withsaid bearings extending from' said leaf portion and spacing apart saidbearings and a secdnd hinge member including a second leaf portion and aknuckle interposed between said bearings and partly surrounded by saidguard, said knuckle having a transverse way and a longitudinal way, saidtransverse way being so disposed that when said leaf portions are facingeach other, as when a 75, vehicle door is normally closed, one mouth ofsaid transverse way will face and be closely adjacent said first namedleaf portion; a pintle extending thru said longitudinal way and fromeither end of said knuckle and into said rstnamed recess and first-namedway, saidpintle having a transverse way aligned with said first namedtransverse way; a pin snugly accommodated inA said transverse ways; andratchet means interposed between, said `pintle bearings and knuckle,each having pawls facing itsnearest pintle bearing, adapted to enter anyof the radiating recesses of the nearest pintle'bearing., said lastnamed means arranged to yieldably resist free movement of the hingemembers only when one is swung relative to the other and said pawls arein said radiating recesses.

5. A ratchet hinge for verticallyhung vehicle doors comprising a firsthinge member including spaced upper and lower axially aligned pintlebearings having faces confronting one another, and an arcuate guard wallintegral with and extending between siad bearings concentric with theaxis of said bearings; a second hinge memberincluding a knuckleinterposed between said pintle bearings, the length of said knucklebeing less than the shortest distance between said confronting faces,said knuckle and the spaces between the ends of said knuckle and innerends of said pintle bearings being partially surrounded by said guardwall at all times, pintle means carried by said knuckle, said pintlemeans having a length less than the shortest distance between theuppermost face of said upper Ipintle bearing and` the lowermost face ofsaid lower pintle bearing, the end portions of said pintle means beingrotatably supported by said pintle bearings; and

ratchetmeans interposed between rsaid pintle bearings and knuckle,arranged to yieldably resist free movement of the hinge members onlywhen one hinge member is swung relative to the other hinge member fromra closed position to substantially 1/8 and substantially 1/4 turn.

6. A ratchet hinge for vertically hung vehicle body doors comprisingarst hinge member including spaced upper and lower axially alignedpintle bearings provided, in their confronting faces, each with twosubstantially V-shaped recesses radiating' from the common axis of saidbearings, and located substantially 45 apart, a second hinge memberincluding a knuckle interposed between said pintle bearings, pintlemeans movably securing said rst and second hinge members togetherincluding pintle ends extending into said pintle bearings, and disposedin non-projecting relationship wtih the upper outer surface of saidupper pintle bearing and in non-projecting relationship with the outersurface of said lowerpintle bearing, means causing said knuckle'andpintle means to rotate together when said second hinge member isoscillated, and a ratchet means carried by each the upper portion andthe lower portion of said knuckle, each ratchet means including a pawlfor cooperation with the said V-shaped recesses of its adjacent pintlebearing; means carried by said knuckle for guiding at least one of saidratchet means vfor cooperation with its respective companion V-shapedrecesses, said pawl being normally located, when the hinge is closed, atan angle of substantially 45 to the nearest of its respective `companionV-shaped recesses.`

NORMAN H. PARDOE.

